


One Fateful Decision

by sterlynsilverrose



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, foxhole court
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Child Abuse, Dark fic, Kidnapping, LOTS of violence, Lots of Abuse, M/M, Mentions of Violence, Multi, Spouse Abuse, Will update tags as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:54:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22102912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sterlynsilverrose/pseuds/sterlynsilverrose
Summary: Andrew is eleven and tired. He's been through more foster homes than he wants to admit, and the current one isn't going to work out either. When left alone on a bench, Andrew makes a choice to go to the restroom, and it's this decision that will change his life forever."What if Andrew hadn't met the Spears at all? What if Mary Hatford had decided she needed another child in the home to distract the monster that is her husband?"Here is a fic to answer that question. You may not have invited it, but it came to the party anyway.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 27
Kudos: 99





	One Fateful Decision

Andrew was fucked. 

There he was, sitting on a bench by himself in a busy mall. Deadre, his new foster mother had brought him with her to find her husband, Brendan, a tie. They had been to all the major department stores. 

It was only his first week with the couple, but already he could tell this wasn’t going to be a permanent stay. 

Not with the way that Brendan spoke to him. 

Not with the way that Brendan let his eyes rove over Andrew’s body as he spoke syrupy sweet words to him and promised that they were going to be a real family. He and Andrew were going to have _so much fun_. 

The words clung to his skin like a film making him feel dirty before anything had even happened. 

He could never forget the way that men and women who he was supposed to trust looked at him, and the way their words had more than one meaning. Each and every interaction was catalogued back into his brain and kept there for reference. 

It was interesting that when you stopped and reviewed it all, adults were all nearly the same.

Andrew decided to give Deadre two weeks. Brendan would by extension have those two weeks as well, but he was far more dangerous. On a scale of Jacob Harrison, who had been caught on top of Andrew by his newlywed wife, to Marshall Anderson who had at least waited six weeks, the hunger in Brendan’s eyes put him somewhere between them. 

Normally, he would have been more alert to his surroundings. But, the recent move into a new house and his vigilance had dulled him.

He should have noticed he was being watched. After all, he had an uncanny knack for spotting trouble, even if he couldn’t avoid it. 

But all the time and tension had sapped that from his brain. 

In hindsight he should have noticed something was off. He wasn’t safe, he knew that in the back of his mind, but maybe this was when he had started not to care. After all, no one would willingly save him. 

There was nothing to gain by doing so. 

Deadre hadn’t been gone but ten minutes. A man had caught her attention and started up a conversation about ties. He had brightened and told her he had just the perfect tie for her husband. 

_Huh, I wonder what that says about their relationship that she can’t commit to a damn tie, and she’s afraid to pick the wrong one._

Abuse? No. Brendan was too sweet with her for that. 

Maybe she sensed his wandering eyes. 

Only time would tell exactly what it was she saw that made her try so hard. 

But yeah sure, let’s pretend that man had the _holy grail_ of ties. 

Andrew scoffed to himself and sank back against the cold wooden slatted bench. He watched several people walk by. A man on a cell phone, a woman tugging a little boy away from the toy store, and several women moving in and out of Victoria’s Secret. 

_Charming._

Had he known that he would be making a life changing decision in that moment Andrew would have given it more thought. 

After all if life is going to go from shitty to hell in a basket that quick, he would have at least paused to consider if he should have even moved from that bench at all. 

But, somehow he just wasn’t that lucky. 

Nature had called and Andrew needed to pee. 

A quick survey of his surroundings left Andrew with his answer to where the restroom was. About 200 feet south of where he was there was a sign sticking out light in neon yellow that clashed with the marble grey. 

Deadre would probably come back soon after he was done anyway, no big deal. 

He stood up and passed a cosmetic woman trying to sell another some sort of lip plumping lip gloss. He passed another man on the phone talking about stocks and the unfairness of the market.  
He stepped around a crying child and his mother as she tried to dry his tears. 

However, life had other plans.  
It was supposed to be a short trip there, do his business, and the short trip back to the bench where he had been told to wait. 

But, just as he was leaving the bathroom a middle aged woman with long blonde hair done up in a ponytail, grey eyes and a matching color tracksuit bumped into him. Andrew tried to step aside, but she threw her arm over his shoulder, “Ah! Here you are! I was worried someone had taken you, Junior.” 

Andrew frowned and reached up gripping the woman’s wrist, he had just been about to throw her arm off when he felt the press of something hard into his side. 

He didn’t have to be smart to know what it was. 

What the actual _fuck_? 

Why did she have a knife against his side?

She pressed her lips to his cheek in a friendly kiss and whispered quietly into his ear, “Act natural. If you call attention to us after this I will shove it between your ribs and leave you to bleed out. Do you understand?” 

She dug the tip of the knife into his lower back for emphasis. 

This couldn’t actually be happening. 

The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him. 

A woman was kidnapping him when no one else had wanted to keep him. It was almost too much, when he didn’t answer the woman dug the knife tip in just a little more through the thin cotton of his shirt. 

Off the top of his head he could have normally figured out at least four ways to turn the situation in his favor, but the knife made him freeze. She stood back up and the pressure disappeared. Instead she placed a hand on the back of his neck and steered him forward, “Move.” 

Andrew moved. 

_The chances she would actually stab me are higher than if she had a gun._

Andrew knew that. 

But the part of him he hated was frozen stiff in fear, so his feet stumbled along as they neared the exit. When they were outside, the woman paused just outside the entrance. When no one else came she nodded to the trash can, “Toss everything in your pockets.” 

This wasn’t the woman’s first time kidnapping, or if it was she was well educated on what to do. 

He could have struggled and gotten away from her. But, the threat of violence was still enough that the part of him that was still a young boy froze up and obeyed. 

Andrew loathed himself for that reaction, because adults never played within the rules they themselves set. Her hand clamped down on his arm like a vice and she tugged him towards a car that was idling by the curb. 

Oh, so this wasn’t just a normal kidnapping. 

_Joy_. 

The door opened and a man in a pair of sunglasses dressed in a suit shifted backwards as the woman pushed him into the back. She took her time walking around to the front of the car, and slipped into the front passenger seat. 

Once she was buckled in, and without a look back at him, she uttered, “Drive.” 

The car started and drove carefully out of the mall parking lot. 

The man next to him was young, just an adult maybe, but he didn’t have an air of normal about him. No one did in the car, and it made Andrew’s hair stand on end. 

The car eased down the road, and they took an on ramp to get on the overpass. 

Andrew’s lip curled in a cold grin as he leaned back, “So, want to tell me exactly what is going to happen to me, lady?” 

He didn’t really have much to live for, and the quality of his life was shitty anyway. Maybe would be at the end of everything they planned to do to him.

The woman didn’t answer, didn’t give him another glance. She did, however, remove her grey track jacket stripping down to just a black tank-top. She then pulled at the ponytail tugging at it until the wig was removed to show the lace wig cap underneath. 

She dropped the wig to the floor of the car, and tugged off the wig cap. Brown curls cascaded down her shoulders stopping just below them. She opened up the car mirror and took out a case, carefully she removed one grey contact first, then the other. With a snap she tucked the case back into her pocket. 

Now she looked nothing like the woman that would be found on the surveillance cameras removing a young blond boy from a busy mall in SoCal. 

_If they even bother to look._

Andrew wasn’t stupid. No one was going to look for an eleven year old foster that had been through multiple homes. After all, his volatile nature made him a high risk of flight anyway. Everyone would just assume it had been too much and that he had walked off by choice. 

“Is the airplane standing by?” She asked the man driving. 

He was older than the younger man in the back, but he seemed to be unhurried as he read the next exit coming up. “One or two more exits Mary.” 

“We need to get there faster.” She urged. 

“What do you want me to do? Drive over the people in front of us?” The man grumbled. The woman, no, Mary, dug her nails into his arm. “A little more urgency wouldn’t hurt you, would it?” 

The man winced, but otherwise didn’t react, though he did up the speed by at least five miles per hour as he weaved between cars and took the next off ramp. Mary released her grip on his arm, placated for now.

“We should arrive in about 10 minutes.” The older man said. 

Mary nodded, and pulled out a phone, “Good. I have to take Abram to get his gear for exy. He’s already outgrown the equipment we just bought him.” 

“Nathaniel’s doing pretty good then?” 

Mary shrugged, “It gets him out of the house.” 

The man nodded and winced sympathetically. “I bet that’s the highlight of his day.” 

Andrew catalogued the information to go over later. Mary finally seemed to remember that he was in the car and turned to stare at him. She jerked her head to the side, “Get him ready for transport.” 

Pain exploded in the side of his head, and the world went dark.

\-----

Andrew wasn’t sure how long he was out. 

In fact, he wasn’t sure what was going on at all. As consciousness came back to him, Andrew didn’t open his eyes. He heard the whoosh of air conditioning over him, and then he felt a drop and correction. 

He had never felt anything like this before, but he wasn’t stupid. 

“Mrs. Wesninski? We will be landing in about fifteen minutes.” A young woman intoned from somewhere near his feet. 

“Thank you Orla.” Mary answered. 

Andrew listened to the footsteps retreating before he slowly opened one eye. The cabin he was in was dim and had a few plush recliners around. Andrew flexed his hands and then separated his wrists slowly. 

“Finally you’re awake. I thought you were a little more robust than that.” Mary intoned dryly. 

Allowing himself to slowly sit up, Andrew turned to Mary and eyed her. 

Somehow she was more noticeable now than she had been even after her transformation in the car. Her hair was pinned up, makeup perfectly applied and her lips a bright crimson. She wore a pair of tight black jeans, and a light pink top. 

She looked high class money, and nothing like a exy mom as the Andrew heard conversation would have implied. 

“So now we’re going to talk?” Andrew asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I don’t have time for you to talk. You’re going to listen.” She raised a glass to her mouth taking a drink. Once she was done, and satisfied with his silence, she crossed on leg over the other. 

“Don’t ask me any questions. We don’t even know if you’re going to live past getting back to the house.” 

Andrew had understood the possibility, but hearing it out of her mouth was something else. 

She let her eyes roam over him, “It will be much easier if I tell you what to expect when we get there. I’ve kidnapped you for one purpose only, and that is to entertain my husband and keep him from touching my son Abram.” 

Andrew let the words bounce around in his head.

Abram, was that Nathaniel? Who was the Nathaniel the man had spoken about? 

“If I won’t do it?” Andrew shrugged. 

She smiled, though it wasn’t one that reached her eyes. She leaned back in her chair, foot bouncing as her fingertips trailed along the rim of her glass, “Go ahead. Misbehave or step out of line. If you die, I just have to find another spare.” 

She was willing to kidnap again. No, she was happy to do it, all to protect her son Abram. 

“You think your husband will be okay with you snatching a kid out of a mall?” Mary’s fingers paused and she sat up, “My husband won’t care. In fact, as long as I’ve been careful he may decide to take you to the basement and dismember you. Your life is in the hands of Nathan Wesninski.” 

He doesn’t know what that really means other than the concreteness of it all. 

Nathan Wesninski. 

Another name to file and chew over later when things had settled down. Whoever Nathan Wesninski was, Mary was obviously his wife. He let himself put all the information he had together in a quick check. 

He was kidnapped by Mary, who was doing it to protect Abram, or Nathaniel from Nathan. 

Suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine as he studied the woman in front of him. 

He made himself take a look at her, _really_ take a look. 

She chartered a private plane, flew to SoCal and snatched him up without so much as a blink in his direction or any fear. The way she talked to him showed a detachment from any real remorse at all. Instead the look in her eye was flat uninterested in him as if she were staring at a piece of meat. 

For the first time since he had encountered her, Andrew made a quiet judgement. 

She was just as dangerous as the man she was talking about. 

_Maybe not in the same way, but still dangerous nonetheless._

Nathan Wesninski who used his basement to take apart people on what seemed to be a regular basis. 

**Fuck**. 

_**Shit**_. 

_I might just get to die after all._

Mary raised an eyebrow, lips pursed into a line as she studied him, her fingers pausing on the rim of the glass. She sat up in the seat and smiled at him, her teeth perfect and white. The lipstick probably made them look even whiter. “You aren’t a crier. You came relatively easily with me. You’re a fighter, aren’t you?” 

Andrew didn’t dignify that with an answer, but gave her a flat stare of his own. 

She smiled, though the smile was not lecherous or fake like he was used to. It was a cruel one that stretched over her perfectly painted lips. 

“Good. If you cooperate, you might just survive this.” She said as the nose of the plane tipped down even more and she turned her attention towards the window next to herself quietly. 

Andrew held his breath, and gripped the arm of the couch praying that the airplane would crash and kill them both. 

\----

Of course, death by plane was out of the question. Once they landed Mary stood up and slid on a black leather coat, tugging her hair out of the collar as she buttoned up the front. 

“Is there anything else you’ll require as we taxi?” Orla, the woman came in and checked on them both. She didn’t so much spare a glance Andrew’s way. 

Things wouldn’t be that simple for him to escape. 

Whoever the Wesninski’s were, they were probably powerful enough that they could by people’s entire lives without batting an eye. The life of a child was probably worth much less to a stranger who had nothing to gain from helping him and everything to lose by it. 

“Yes, I need something warm for the boy.” Mary answered. 

The woman nodded, “What size?” 

Mary gave an expectant look at Andrew. 

“I don’t need anything from you.” Andrew told her. 

Mary rolled her eyes, “Large. He looks a little scrawny.” 

The woman paused, gave a look at Andrew, appraising and nodded before she disappeared and reappeared with a black hoodie. 

Mary didn’t look at him, as she checked her cellphone and typed out a message. After, she slipped it inside her pocket and she finally looked at him, “If you try to run, you will have more than me to worry about.” 

Not ten seconds later the plane came to a halt. 

Andrew took a breath and looked out the windows. The sky was gray and overcast and the runway was wet with rain. No matter how stubborn he wanted to be to annoy Mary, he hated being cold even worse. 

Begrudgingly, Andrew tugged on the hoodie and stepped away from the window. 

Mary stood by the oppsite window, hands shoved into the pocket of her coat as she narrowed her eyes down at the ground beside the plane. 

“Shit.” She muttered. 

She turned to look at Andrew, “Keep your mouth closed and don’t talk to anyone.” 

Andrew noticed the tension as much as he sensed it in her words. 

What was out there that had agitated the woman across from him so much? 

The door was opened and Mary strolled to the opening as she tipped her head to him in a wordless command. 

_Follow._

__The or else was also heavily implied in the last look she gave him before she descended the slick steps towards the ground. Andrew followed her, not sparing Orla another glance as he started down the stairs._ _

__He was slow enough to hear the conversation taking place, but not quick enough that he didn’t stand out._ _

__A woman and man stood near Mary with umbrellas._ _

__“There you are Mary! We’ve been told to fetch you and bring you home.” The woman wore a similar coat, her hair up in an updo. She had glasses on her face, but her makeup was sharp. Sharper than Mary’s as was the smile on her lips._ _

__Where Mary was all tough jagged edges, this woman was smartly sharp like the edge of a blade._ _

__She wore a pants suit, at least from what he could tell._ _

__The man next to her was a blonde, his blond hair slicked back and a bored look on his face. Both looked a little younger than Mary, but there was something strange about them._ _

__All the power Mary used in California seemed to have all but disappeared._ _

__She stepped closer to the man who put the umbrella over her form to stop the droplets from getting into her hair. Mary clamped her mouth shut and didn’t say anything._ _

__The man turned with her and started walking to a nearby black car._ _

___Why do all criminals work out of black cars? ____ _

____Andrew wondered as the woman turned her attention to him. Her eyes light up the moment she saw him and she turned around and called out to Mary, “Oh did you bring a present home? Is it for Nathan or for Junior?”_ _ _ _

____Mary paused, looked to him and shrugged, “Whoever wants him.”_ _ _ _

____The woman tossed back her head and laughed. It wasn’t the type of laugh when someone was trying to be polite. It was the type of laugh you distanced yourself from. Quickly._ _ _ _

____“Oh this is rich! Is this where you flitted off to in a hurry? Nathan was very curious as to where you went. He might have mentioned something to me at lunch.”_ _ _ _

____“Lola.” The man called out to her in a flat voice._ _ _ _

____She waved her hand dismissively at him as her smile turned conspiratorial, “Come on Romero I’m just making conversation.”_ _ _ _

____“We can do that in the car. It’s freezing out here.” The man told her._ _ _ _

____She hummed her agreement, and gestured to Andrew, “Let’s get going.”_ _ _ _

____Andrew stepped around her and pushed his wet hands into his hoodie. He hadn’t been expecting to use the rail, but the steps had been too slippery. Now he wanted to warm them up and fast. The fuzz on the inside of the pocket was already starting to warm._ _ _ _

____“Stubborn I see.” Lola walked next to him under the umbrella._ _ _ _

____Andrew didn’t dignify her with an answer._ _ _ _

____“Well, there’s more than one way to crack a tough nut. That’s sort of a specialty of mine anyway.” She told him as she opened the door and spread her hand out mockingly, “After you, little prince.”_ _ _ _

____There were too many unknowns for Andrew to make a safe guess as to how dangerous the situation was. Mary had given him one sharp warning, and it seemed to hold true._ _ _ _

____“Buckle up little prince.” Lola chimed in as she broke down her umbrella and slid into the seat next to him._ _ _ _

____Mary sat on the opposite side with Romero next to her. Her posture was stiff and Romero’s posture mirrored hers. Andrew was on edge already, but the woman, Lola, chattered on next to him either unaware of the tension or uncaring of it._ _ _ _

____She took out a small black book and hummed as she flipped a few pages, “I had to reschedule a nail and hair appointment because of your little flight.”_ _ _ _

____Lola tsked, as her eyes slid down the page, “Naughty, Naughty, Mary. Nathan was counting on your presence at tonight’s dinner.”_ _ _ _

____Mary’s jaw clenched._ _ _ _

____The tone was all wrong. Andrew watched Mary and refused to look at Lola._ _ _ _

____But he could see her out of the corner of her eye as she tapped her finger against the notes she was reading, “You know the point of having an assistant is so the assistant can make her boss's life easier, not harder.”_ _ _ _

____Andrew focused on Mary as she sat there green eyes narrowed at the other woman in the car._ _ _ _

____“In fact, Nathan went ahead and rescheduled the dinner for tomorrow. Then he decided to have quality time with his son to figure out where you had gone.” Lola’s tone was sweet and upbeat, but from the look on Mary’s face, as the blood rushed out of it, quality time was the last thing she wanted to hear._ _ _ _

____“Also, I went ahead and rescheduled Junior’s appointment for his exy equipment till the end of the week. He won’t have any energy to go for the next few days.” Lola let the appointment book close with a snap and tucked it away again._ _ _ _

____\----_ _ _ _

____“Hey little prince, have you ever been to Maryland before?”_ _ _ _

____Mary had refused to take the bait from Lola’s comments. She had apparently gotten bored and had turned her attention to Andrew._ _ _ _

____Andrew tried to ignore her, but whatever barrier was between Mary and Lola, he didn’t share it. Romero let his eyes flick over and he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs, “Answer her.”_ _ _ _

____A command._ _ _ _

____One that Andrew pointedly ignored. He turned his head away._ _ _ _

_____Wrong move_. _ _ _ _

____Slender fingers dug into his hair and his head was wrenched forcefully towards the woman beside him. Her blue eyes bore into his as her smile slid off her face for a moment, “I asked you a question, and you better learn quickly how to answer. Is that clear?”_ _ _ _

____Andrew winced, but didn’t say one word._ _ _ _

____After a few seconds the smile slipped back onto her face, “Ohhh I like him Mary, where did you find him?”_ _ _ _

____Mary looked at her unimpressed, “None of your business, Lola.”_ _ _ _

____She hummed, and turned reaching into her pocket. “That’s okay. I have the answer here.”_ _ _ _

____Lola pulled out a slender piece of paper, “Flight plan. Mary Hatford, oh using the maiden name I see? At least you know not to leave a trail back to your husband.”_ _ _ _

____She let her grip in Andrew’s hair tighten harder and harder as she read. “Oh, so you’re from California little prince? I would have never guessed. Don’t get out in the sun much do you?”_ _ _ _

____Romero snorted and sat back as the car continued it’s journey further away from safety and closer to the unknown._ _ _ _

____Her touch was foreign and unwanted._ _ _ _

____Andrew reached up and before he could even touch her, there was a knife pressed against his neck. “Nuh uh little prince. Here’s how this game goes. I ask the questions, you answer. I get to touch, you don’t. If you so much as even breathe the wrong way you’ll bleed out. Do you understand?”_ _ _ _

____Andrew let his hand drop to the cushion beside him._ _ _ _

____Lola removed the knife from the side of his neck, “Does he talk?”_ _ _ _

____Mary shrugged, “Not to you.”_ _ _ _

____Lola rolled her eyes and loosened her fingers in his hair, petting him._ _ _ _

____It made his skin crawl._ _ _ _

____“That’s okay. We’ll get him to talk soon.” Lola gave him a wink and a big smile._ _ _ _

____\-----_ _ _ _

____The drive itself felt like it took forever and Lola had never shut up. By the time they had passed the gates and parked the car even Romero looked a little worn out by all the talking._ _ _ _

____Mary unbuckled her seatbelt and was out of the car in seconds, quickly starting for the front door._ _ _ _

____Romero and Lola however, took their time unbuckling and checking themselves over._ _ _ _

____Andrew just sat there and took it all in._ _ _ _

____Romero and Lola. Would there be others like them? What had Mary brought him into? But, when he thought of all the things she had said and rewound them in his head, she had been telling the truth._ _ _ _

____He was in a dangerous situation._ _ _ _

____Andrew had known that all along as soon as Mary had pressed a blade into his back, but seeing Mary and the interactions in the car made one thing perfectly clear:_ _ _ _

____He was trapped, but so was Mary and her son._ _ _ _

____It was evident in the way she carried herself and in the way Lola and Romero had treated her. Romero had treated her with a detached deference, but Lola had verbally harassed her. Both were obviously important to whatever Nathan Wesninski had going on._ _ _ _

_____Will I survive here? Can I survive here?_ _ _ _ _

____The question played over and over in his head until he was drug out of his thoughts with a rap of Romero’s knuckles on the window next to his head._ _ _ _

____“Come on little prince your going to miss all the fun!” Called Lola in a sing song voice._ _ _ _

____Andrew unbuckled his seat belt and eased himself out._ _ _ _

____Romero shut the door after him and grabbed his arm in one hand tugging him towards the front of the large brownstone. Everything was picturesque, almost as if it was out of an old mafia movie. The house was large, and the front yard larger, and the back was probably even larger than that._ _ _ _

____Andrew was fucked._ _ _ _

____Romeo tugged on his arm causing him to stumble._ _ _ _

____Lola turned and looked at him as she stepped up the steps towards the front door, “Mero, don’t break him before I get my turn.”_ _ _ _

____Andrew shivered and stepped out of Lola’s reach._ _ _ _

____For the fiftieth time, Andrew wished he had listened and just sat on the stupid bench. Now here he was with a group of dangerously crazy people._ _ _ _

____Why couldn’t his life be simple?_ _ _ _

____Lola opened the door and called out, “We’re home.”_ _ _ _

____There was only silence in return. A predatory smile slid onto her face as she motioned him and Romero in._ _ _ _

____It was silent for all of five seconds before there was a loud scream on the second floor. Lola laughed and Romero shook his head._ _ _ _

____Another man with black hair approached them, he sported a fresh red mark on his jaw but didn’t seem too bothered by it. “Welcome home.”_ _ _ _

____“Sounds like Mary is upset again.”_ _ _ _

____Romero shoved Andrew towards this new man. He was a younger man and he looked to the others with both eyebrows raised, “The fuck am I supposed to do with this kid?”_ _ _ _

____“Take him upstairs to meet Nathan.” Lola told him shrugging as if it was the most obvious thing she could have said. The man clamped his hand onto his shoulder and shoved him towards the stairs. Andrew stumbled and nearly fell over._ _ _ _

____“Jackson. He’s Mary’s cargo until he isn’t anymore, understand?” Romero called out._ _ _ _

____The young man, Jackson, nodded and nudged him forward with less strength this time._ _ _ _

____Andrew climbed the dark wooden stairs slowly._ _ _ _

____After the admonition from Romero, Jackson trailed along behind him quietly until they reached the top of the stairs. The sound of a vase shattering made Andrew flinch._ _ _ _

____This was worse than anything he had been through so far._ _ _ _

____A thud of someone hitting the wall near them made Andrew move towards the banister. Jackson pushed him forward and approached the door to their left beside the stairs._ _ _ _

____“Nathan! STOP IT. You’re killing him! You’re killing your son!”_ _ _ _

____Mary’s muffled voice was tinged with a hint of desperation. Already the woman that had proven she was not to be trifled with had been bested and beat down._ _ _ _

____There was a loud sound of flesh striking flesh and a loud thud._ _ _ _

____Jackson took this moment to knock on the door. He took a step back beside Andrew and waited. The sound of heavy footsteps approached the door and two seconds later, the door opened._ _ _ _

____Whatever he had expected Nathan Wesninski to be, Andrew hadn’t expected this._ _ _ _

____The man in front of him didn’t look like a crazy man. In fact, as he stood there in the doorway leaning against the side of the door, he smiled at Jackson a full smile that showed teeth. “What do you want Jackson? It better be important.”_ _ _ _

____“This boy came back from California with Mary.” Jackson nudged Andrew forward._ _ _ _

____It took all he had not to fall to his knees right there. All the tension and noise had really done a number on his nerves._ _ _ _

____The smile slowly slid off of the redhead’s face. “What?”_ _ _ _

____“He came back with her on the plane.”_ _ _ _

____Nathan’s green eyes raked over him, assessing Andrew just as Mary had done several hours ago. He opened the door and grabbed a handful of Andrew’s hoodie dragging him inside._ _ _ _

____\----_ _ _ _

____The room wasn’t a bedroom, but an office._ _ _ _

____Papers were strewn everywhere, and both of the chairs that sat in front of the desk were overturned. On one side of the room was a floor to ceiling bookshelf. Mary was leaned against it breathing heavily. Her hair was sticking out and her coat was halfway undone._ _ _ _

____“Mary, Mary, Mary...What did you bring home with you?” Nathan shoved Andrew into the bookshelf nearest her._ _ _ _

____“Did you go fuck someone and now you’re bringing your mistake home with you?”_ _ _ _

____Pain raced up and down Andrew’s back as he hissed and arched off the bookcase. He didn’t have a moment to recover as he was grabbed on the back of the head, and wrenched around. “Who are you?”_ _ _ _

____Andrew gasped and Mary stepped away from the shelf, “No, Nathan he’s-”_ _ _ _

____Before she could answer fully, Nathan’s hand whipped out and lashed against her cheek sending her backwards towards her original spot._ _ _ _

____“Don’t you ever tell me no, Mary.” Nathan told her voice eerily calm as he shoved Andrew against the shelf again. Stars bled into his vision as he found himself nose to nose with Nathan Wesninski._ _ _ _

____“Who the _fuck_ are you?” _ _ _ _

____“I was kidnapped and brought here.” Andrew rasped as he tried to pull away._ _ _ _

_____Wrong move again_. _ _ _ _

____Nathan narrowed his eyes and slammed him against the bookshelf, letting him go. Andrew wheezed and slid down to the ground as his head spun._ _ _ _

____“You kidnapped a kid and brought him here? What for Mary? Is your brain so dull that you couldn’t see the stupidity of what you did?” Nathan asked. He lifted his hand back and slapped her again._ _ _ _

____Mary’s head snapped back and blood trickled down the side of her mouth._ _ _ _

____“Your fuck up is now going to cost me money. TIME and MONEY Mary.!” Nathan snarled as he reached back to hit her again. But, before the blow connected Andrew noticed someone behind him move._ _ _ _

____A young boy tried to grab Nathan from behind. He couldn’t have been more than eight or nine at the most. He looked like a copy of the violent man he was trying to hold._ _ _ _

_____Must be Nathaniel or Abram…_ _ _ _ _

____Andrew winced and focused on taking deep breaths. Nathan staggered to the side and missed Mary hitting his hand on the wooden shelf. There was a fire in his eyes as he rounded and turned his attention on the young boy._ _ _ _

____“You have some bite now? In front of your mom, Nathaniel?” The older man pushed the boy up against the desk and grinned coldly down at him as his hand wrapped around his throat. The little boy struggled, but he was not strong enough to win against a man. Not one like the one holding him down._ _ _ _

____Nathan started to squeeze._ _ _ _

____Mary watched this for a moment, coming back to the present as she forced the words out. “I bought him here for you. As a gift for your temper. I hoped you would use him as a whipping boy.”_ _ _ _

____Nathan eased up the fingers he had around Nathaniel’s throat, turning his attention to Mary once more, “What?”_ _ _ _

____“I just explained it to you. If you keep beating Nathaniel he’ll be of no use to you or anyone else.” Mary brushed the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. Her lipstick didn’t smudge._ _ _ _

____Andrew winced as he felt the back of his head, there was a nice bump there beginning to swell._ _ _ _

____Nathan narrowed his eyes at her and turned to look at Andrew. It took everything he had not to flinch. He stared back at the man, who turned his eyes back to his son._ _ _ _

____“No. Out of the question. He’s a loose end.” Nathan growled, applying more pressure to Nathaniel’s throat._ _ _ _

____“He won’t be. He didn’t fight me the whole way here. He hasn’t cried, hasn’t tried to run away, nothing.” Mary took a step away from the book case, it was a tentative step that must have taken a lot of courage._ _ _ _

____That was more like the Mary that Andrew had first met._ _ _ _

____“He’s got a family.” Nathan bit out._ _ _ _

____“I’m in the foster system.” Andrew answered.._ _ _ _

____This stopped both Mary and Nathan._ _ _ _

____His fingers finally left his son’s throat as he stood up and adjusted the cuffs on his shirt. It was a white shirt spattered with blood held up by black suspenders. The shirt would have to be tossed away, probably, but that wasn’t a thought Andrew should be having right now._ _ _ _

____“What’s your name, boy?” Nathan took a step towards him forcing him to look up with a hand in his hair._ _ _ _

____Andrew winced. His head started to pound, “Andrew Doe.”_ _ _ _

____Nathan looked at him, really studied him for a long time before he shoved him down. He turned to look at Mary and she stood up straighter, “Since you think Abram is a disappointment, use him. Teach them both and I bet you Nathaniel will excel.”_ _ _ _

_____Ah, so that’s her game._ _ _ _ _

____Pit them against each other._ _ _ _

____Nathaniel would be the perfect heir and Andrew would be weakened and beat down until there was nothing left. Then he would be discarded and left for someone else to find._ _ _ _

____At least no one would touch him or make him feel as dirty as he already felt again._ _ _ _

____Violence was a harsh master to get used to, but it was better than the alternative._ _ _ _

____“Kill him.”_ _ _ _

____The voice was soft and came out from behind Nathan. The voice was raspy, but Andrew could tell it came from the younger boy. Already the boy was black and blue and he wouldn’t have been standing at all, but he held onto the desk beside him for dear life._ _ _ _

____“What did you just say?”_ _ _ _

____“Kill him. I don’t need a whipping boy.” Andrew stared hard at the young boy. The boy looked at him and even without speaking Andrew could read him._ _ _ _

_____You’re better off dead than alive here._ _ _ _ _

____Nathan looked first at Mary and then at his son. Finally, after several long silent seconds, he grabbed the boy by his hair and turned shoving him towards Andrew. Nathaniel’s body hit his and Andrew grabbed him around the waist and steadied himself._ _ _ _

____“Oh Nathaniel, why don’t you ever learn? I’ll never give you anything you want.”_ _ _ _

____Nathan turned and looked to Mary, “Get him false papers. But he’s not a Wesninski. Congratulations on your new family member, Mary.”_ _ _ _

____Nathaniel tensed as his father walked by them, and he grabbed his son tugging him on his knees as he dragged him across the floor. “I have a lesson with Nathaniel right now, I’ll send him back to you later.”_ _ _ _

____With that, Nathan disappeared still dragging Nathaniel out the door and down the hall._ _ _ _

____Andrew shook as he let out a breath and turned to stare at Mary._ _ _ _

____She waited a beat before she looked up at the doorway her son had been pulled through, and instead of a forlorn look that Andrew had expected, she smiled._ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, this is not for the faint of heart. This fic has been kind of simmering in my brain for a while and I wanted to get out the first chapter. Like my other fics, I'll be trying to update it here and there when I can. I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. If you did please leave a kudos or a comment. Also, alternatively if you think I need to tag any other warnings please let me know, something that might be a trigger to others may not be a trigger to me. 
> 
> If you like what you read here please check out my other work at [my tumblr](https://sterlynwrites.tumblr.com)


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